New Delhi: In his petition filed today in the Supreme Court against the Narendra Modi government’s decision to send him on leave, Alok Verma charged CBI special director Rakesh Asthana with fabricating evidence to “impugn his reputation” – soon after which an FIR was registered against the latter – and obstructed decisions which were crucial to investigation of certain cases.

Asthana had on Tuesday moved the Delhi high court against the lodging of an FIR against him in a bribery case, and soon after, the Central government acted to remove director Verma from his post and send Asthana on a leave.

Verma’s petition states that he is a senior member of the IPS, has had an unblemished record and an experience of over 35 years – on the basis of which he was appointed director of CBI in January 2017 for “a statutory two-year term”.

He further says that recently, while all the functionaries of the CBI have agreed on a certain course of action, Asthana has held a different view and posed hurdles. He alone obstructed decisions that were crucial to some investigations, the petition claims.

Verma said the “details of the cases that have led to the present circumstances are extremely sensitive and cannot with full responsibility be divulged in the present pleadings.” But he said he would be willing to furnish them to the court.